Where is the promised addition to Viscount Alexander school?

From the IMAGE In-box

On Wednesday, January 30, 2009 the Board of Trustees of the Ottawa Carleton School Board (OCDSB) voted eight to four in favour of starting Early French Immersion (EFI) at Viscount Alexander School. The OCDSB also called for a permanent addition when student enrolment warranted it.

Now, 14 years later the school population exceeds the rated capacity for the school. There is no space to hold a staff meeting and other special support space for students is extremely limited.

For many years Viscount Alexander has been on the list of capital funding priorities that the OCDSB submits annually to the Ontario Ministry of Education. This addition would cost about $2 to 3 million. In recent years rapidly growing suburban areas have taken much of the funding to build new schools.

Viscount’s enrolment is growing and the demands on the school space are only increasing. The time has come to invest in this dual track English/EFI community elementary school and provide these students with a solid start to their education. Hopefully the Ministry of Education will see that Viscount Alexander has served Sandy Hill and beyond for many decades and the time has come to reinvest to keep this community school thriving.

Michael Barnes
Former Co-Chair/ Community Representative at Viscount Alexander School for 14 years